


Close to You

by Jarl_Deathwolf



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-04-06 08:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 18,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarl_Deathwolf/pseuds/Jarl_Deathwolf
Summary: Ladybug has a truly inspired plan to defeat Hawkmoth - Dating Adrien Agreste! Foolproof. But this fake relationship threatens to become something... more.A fluffy Ladrien story, fitting for the Blush Ship. Slight crack for flavor.





	1. Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Ladrien story, Close to You! Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode, where I'll add more tags and clean things up - I'm not at home right now, so all I can do is post this story. No plot is intended for now, but knowing me a plot might spontaneously form. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> This story was inspired by this animatic, which I listen to when writing new chapters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJVbvg1k8jc&list=PLEHBsMJEr6jAYx-tZYae0PlgXsV-wkzbs&index=37&t=0s

It had been a long day for Adrien. As always, his tightly packed schedule didn’t give him enough time to truly appreciate how exhausted he was from the photoshoot until he was just about ready to collapse in his room. Baking under hot lights, holding still for ages, and letting people manhandle him to get hair and makeup just right - at this point, the one thing he wanted more anything else in the world was to take a shower and go to bed. 

Maybe Plagg sensed this, since he practically vanished the moment Adrien stepped foot in his room. Either way, it was blissfully quiet as he stumbled across the vast expanse of his living quarters just to get to his dresser. His shirt was halfway off when he happened to look up at his window and met a pair of familiar blue eyes. Hanging just outside his window, fist still raised as if to knock on the glass, was none other than Ladybug. For a long moment, the two of them were frozen, staring at each other.

A blush crept out from under her mask and she started to turn around. Adrien put his shirt back down and rushed forward, throwing open the window. In his haste, he accidentally clipped her with the window, causing her to stumble.

“Ladybug!” He lunged forward and caught her hand to keep her steady. Even that small bit of contact was enough to make his face heat up. It wasn’t often that he got to touch her outside his suit. Once she was stable, she gracefully landed in his room. “What, uh, what are you doing here?” His eyes widened. “Is there an akuma?!”

“No…” She rubbed her arm as she glanced away, looking much less confident than what he was used to from her. “But it _does_ have something to do with akumas.”

He tilted his head at her. “O-okay?” No akuma, but it has something to do with them. “Is it about… me?”

“Y-yes!” She cleared her throat and stood a little taller. “Alright. Have you noticed that akumas have been deliberately avoiding you?”

Adrien thought back to the last few akuma - he’d just been thinking they either hadn’t noticed him, or didn’t want to target him specifically. It had been great for getting away to transform, which might have been why he hadn’t noticed before. 

Realizing she was waiting on an answer he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry, I guess I didn’t notice.” His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. “Wait. You don’t think _I’m_ …?” 

“What?! No no no!” She frantically waved her arms around her head. “You _couldn’t_ be Hawkmoth! You’ve been present when people have gotten akumatized, plus you were there when Hawkmoth did his big attack on Heroes’ Day! Besides,” she calmed down a little and she smiled at him, “you don’t have an evil bone in your body.” 

Hearing her give him such praise made his legs weak, but Adrien used his heroic willpower to carry on without her being any the wiser. “S-so, w-what is this about t-then?” Flawless.

“R-right. So,” her forehead furrowed adorably as she began pacing, “we know that Hawkmoth is avoiding you, which implies that he is someone close to you or someone who doesn’t want to see you get hurt. Unfortunately, that doesn’t narrow it down much.” She froze and whipped around to face him, waving her hands wildly again. “T-that’s not a _bad_ thing, usually! It's good that people love you. I mean, who would want to hurt you? You’re so wonderful and beautiful and nice, no person in their right mind would want to… uh…” She calmed herself down again, but a fierce blush remained peeking out on her face. “...Anyway. That means I need your help to draw Hawkmoth out.”

“Of course! Anything I can do to help you, Ladybug! What do you need from me?”

She was unable to meet his eyes and his enthusiasm wavered. “It’s… well… What would anger Hawkmoth more than seeing one of his favorite celebrities… dating Ladybug…?” She closed her eyes and hid behind her fingers, waiting for his response.

Adrien was extreme danger of collapsing, from the way his heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. He was pretty sure his entire head had just become one big blush, and was creeping down his neck and chest. She seemed to take his pause for hesitation.

“D-don’t worry! It’s just… fake dating. An undercover mission to defeat Hawkmoth!” She said it in just the same matter-of-fact way she explained all her Lucky Charm induced plans. That tone finally pulled him out of his meltdown.

“You want to… date… in public… to fight Hawkmoth?”

“Y-yes.” Her confidence wavered and she started inching towards the window. “I… this was a bad idea, I’m sure you don’t want to-”

Afraid that she might leave and close the door on the opportunity to even _pretend_ that he could date someone as amazing as her, he rushed forward to grab her wrist. When she looked back, his eyes locked on her brilliant blue ones and knocked the soul out of his body. 

“I’d love to date you, Ladybug,” he whispered reverently. He caught himself and cleared his throat. “Or, uh, fake date you. To catch Hawkmoth. Yeah.”

“R-right. Fake dating. That’s what we’re doing. With the goal of catching Hawkmoth. Of course.” 

There was a few awkward moments of silence between them before Adrien got an idea. “So… we’re going to need to do couple things in public, right?”

Nodding slowly, Ladybug replied, “Yes…?”

“Then we should probably… practice. To make it look… real. Right?”

“I… Yes. That makes sense. What did you have in mind?”

“Well…” He began, taking her hand and guiding her toward the couch. “One of the first things that comes to mind is… k-kissing. So we should make sure we’ve got that down as best we can. So we can fool Hawkmoth.”

At least she was blushing as much as he was. She bobbed her head. “T-to fool Hawkmoth. Right. Let’s… let’s get started then!”

Their ‘practice session’ ended up lasting for the better part of an hour. Even though both of them were certain that they still needed practice, they decided to call it a night there. They would have plenty of time for more practice before they put their plan into motion. For now, Adrien was content to collapse onto his bed, rolling around while screaming into his pillow. 

This was the start of something more, he could already feel it.


	2. Famous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has second thoughts, but Tikki is here for encouragement!

“Tikki, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…” 

The kwami in question looked up from her second breakfast - which was, today, a macaroon - to see her chosen staring worriedly at her computer screen. Floating over, it wasn’t hard to see how she’d worked herself up this time. She was scrolling through a feed of tabloid articles surrounding the Agrestes - all the clandestine pictures taken of them, the gossip articles ranging from the barely-lies to the outright absurd. 

She placed herself in front of the computer screen. “Listen Marinette, we talked this over lots before you even took the first step towards Adrien’s house, yes?”

“Right…”

“Now I need you to tell me something - do these articles change anything?” Tikki put on a stern face as she waited for her response. 

Marinette blinked at her in confusion, prying her attention away from the . “Huh?”

Be patient, Tikki told herself. She’s young and confused. “Do these stories make you think that this plan won’t work?” 

“Well… it means that we will be… watched… a lot more than I thought we would.”

“Which is a good thing, since it means it will be hard to miss Ladybug and Adrien dating.” At Marinette’s hesitant nod, Tikki pressed on. “So nothing’s changed, right?” Another doubtful nod, but her chosen didn’t seem the least bit relieved. Tikki landed on her shoulder. “What’s really bothering you about this?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “It’s not like there isn’t already plenty of stuff written about Ladybug already. Even a few about a relationship between… uh, me and him.” She was blushing again and Tikki smirked to herself, fully aware that Marinette had saved _those_ articles as pick-me-ups for rainy days. 

“Don’t worry, Marinette.” Tikki smiled kindly. “I understand.”

Her head shot up from where she had bowed it. “You do? At least one of us does.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of! We worked this out. Everything will turn out fine - I know it!”

Marinette flashed her a small smile and nodded. Maybe it was a bit of the Plagg-ness in her, but while Marinette was closing the computer tabs to return to homework, Tikki added, “And besides - now you’re finally dating Adrien! I’m sure you two can find plenty of practice time, right?”

Tikki fled, giggling, while her chosen turned red and sputtered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late posting! It has been a loooong weekend.


	3. Couple

Adrien did his best to suppress a yawn as the cameras flashed around him.

These morning shoots were draining. Even if he’s done them for years now, even if all they really asked of him was to stay still and look pretty, it was exhausting to do for hours at a time. The worst part was the monotony. Sure, there might be a new gimmick for a photoshoot, but generally it was still doing the same thing for long stretches. Zoning out was out of the question since his photographer would notice it in an instant. No, Adrien was resigned to waiting this out as best as he could.

The entrance to the room was located behind the set that Adrien was in front of, so when the door opened and closed loudly, he couldn’t immediately see who had done it. Whoever they were, he felt bad for them - his photographer, Radolfo, was notoriously strict when it came to his sets and didn’t appreciate guests or interruptions. 

Radolfo glared silently for a few moments before stomping around the set. “Who just barges into a live photoshoot?!” Adrien took the opportunity to stand and stretch. If he had to guess, it was someone from the business side of things, or a careless intern. Someone not super familiar with how these things usually went when they weren’t public. 

Adrien stumbled when he heard Radolfo say in a much sweeter voice, “Ah, miss Ladybug! A pleasure to see you. Is there someone we can do for you?”

“Oh no, there isn't any danger. I’m just here to visit my boyfriend.” There was a flurry of whispered conversation at that and for a brief moment Adrien was heartbroken before remembering that was _him_. He was _dating_ Ladybug! Well, fake dating, but still. 

While everyone around him was speculating who she meant, he rounded the corner. Her eyes were immediately pulled to him and the bright smile she sent his way turned his legs to jelly. Somehow, he found the strength to hold himself together and put an arm around her. 

“There you are, handsome boy.” She leaned up to put a kiss on his cheek, causing a fresh round of excited murmuring. He was sure someone in the back - one of the makeup artists and an avid Ladrien shipper - fainted. 

Clapping his hands loudly for attention, Radolfo shouted, “Okay, everyone. We had our fun. Back to positions! We still have work to do.”

While everyone else was moving, however reluctantly, to their spots, Radolfo shot him a wink and a thumbs up. As Adrien was returning to his place on the set, Radolfo asked, “And what do you think you are doing, miss Ladybug?”

Adrien looked up to see the superheroine frozen, halfway towards the shadows in the back where a few empty chairs were waiting. 

“Um, I was going to… take a seat…?”

Radolfo shook his head, arms crossed. “No no no no no. We don’t have lollygaggers on my sets, especially not when they interrupt the shoot like that.” He gestured with his camera to where Adrien was seated. “Up front with him.” He snapped his fingers at the surviving makeup artists. “What are you waiting for? Touch up her makeup!” 

Ladybug seemed to be on the verge of panicking when they funneled her towards him, but when she was about halfway to him, their eyes locked and he smiled warmly at her. Her smile wasn’t as confident, but he could tell she was already feeling better about this.

Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	4. Model

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug is roped into a modelling session with Adrien.

Marinette felt as if she was in a dream, barely connected to her body as the makeup artists fluttered around her and Adrien was watching her like she was the stars and moon. He caught her staring back and to her surprise, he quickly turned away as a blush spread across his face. Even then, she could see the bright smile he wore as his eyes remained fixed on the ground. 

Adrien was selling the part of lovesick boy really well, to the point of almost _over_ selling it. Hopefully no one noticed - she’d have to keep up with him to make sure that they didn’t arouse suspicious. 

“Alright, alright, that’s enough!” The photographer clapped his hands, sending the artists scurrying away and causing a flurry of activity from beyond their circle of light. “Places everyone! We’ve already lost too much time - this has to be _perfect_ from here on out.” 

While the crew got ready around them, a knot of worry formed in her got and she bit her lip. A hand slipped into hers, drawing her out of her own head as she heard Adrien whisper to her, “Don’t worry. You’re already beautiful, so you’ve already got half of it down.”

The worry gave way to butterflies, but before she could do more than squeeze his hand back the cameras were already flashing. “Good, good! Keep that passion burning strong! We can use this!” The photographer was moving around at a breakneck pace, taking pictures from all different angles as the crew struggled to keep up. 

“Now, something a little closer...” He had them let go of each other, only to put Adrien’s arm around her shoulders and have her rest her head against his chest. As he snapped pictures, he practically cackled. “I can already see the headlines! ‘France’s Golden Child and the Sweetheart of Paris Together at Last!’”

Photoshoots seemed to be a lot more waiting and standing still than she had expected. There were worse places that she could be, though, so she let herself relax a little into Adrien’s embrace. Under the warm lights, she was even starting to get drowsy and let her eyes close for just a moment.

“Ah! So the lady needs some stimulation, eh?” He tapped his chin with his camera before snapping his fingers. “Say, you have exceptional strength, don’t you, Ladybug?”

“Well, um… yes?” The answer seemed painfully obvious to her.

“Marvellous! Then, scoop up the little Agreste if you would please.” 

Marinette exchanged a brief look with Adrien, who flashed her a strangely familiar lopsided grin. “I trust you not to drop me, Ladybug.”

Smirking in return, she swept him off his feet - literally. He wrapped his arms around her neck as she got a better hold on his legs and lower back. It was a little difficult, but more because he was bigger than her. Super strength or not, he was light - almost worryingly so.

She muttered to him, “One of these days, someone needs to treat you to a good meal.”

Laughing, he replied, “Is that your way of asking me out to eat?”

“Th-that depends on if you would say yes.” The stutter was a worthy price to pay to see Adrien looking that flustered even as she cradled him in a princess carry. Or is it a prince carry now? 

“Flirt on your own time!” The photographer’s exasperated voice cut in, reminding her that they weren’t alone. 

“Hey,” Adrien shrugged, “you’re the one that wanted passion, right?”

“Yes,” he allowed, “but I still need focus. Keep your attention on the task at hand. No more interruptions!”

After that, they were kept too focused on the modeling for even whispered conversation. Even so, it was a wonderful time and after a few hours, they ended with a tender image of them leaning their foreheads against one another. After a quick peck on the cheek, Marinette left in a rush for home, grinning all the way. 

The ensuing media uproar was a distant thought to Marinette as she soared across Paris. For now, all she was thinking about was how she couldn’t wait to get her hands on those pictures.


	5. Damsel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg's not a big fan of all this mushy stuff.

“Ugh, I thought you’d be _less_ obnoxious about your crush after you two starting dating.” Plagg gagged as he watched from his spot atop Adrien’s head. The photos from the shoot had finally reached print and the last hour of his rare free time had been spent just staring at them and grinning. In his opinion, it was time well spent.

“Well, I have to stay in character, Plagg. Otherwise it might look fake.” Not that there was a lot of acting to be done on Adrien’s part. If anything, he had to rein himself in more often than not. Sometimes it was difficult to remember that they were in a fake relationship and not a real one.

“Kid. It’s not a character. You two are just dating and pretending you aren’t.” Plagg was glaring at Adrien. It was a conversation they’d had previously and all Adrien could do was sigh.

“Plagg, plagg, plagg… I get how you might see that from my end, since I’m channeling my love for Ladybug into my work.” He could almost hear Plagg grinding his tiny teeth in frustration. “As for Ladybug’s performance… well, she _is_ amazing. I’m not surprised she is so good at this. No wonder even you’ve fallen for it!” After all, she’d made it clear that she didn’t feel anything like that for Chat Noir, and it's not like he acted _that_ different in the mask, right? So clearly, this was just a really, really good show they were putting on.

“I let it pass for now since you’re young and in love, and therefore dumb.” Plagg covered his eyes with his paws and shook his head. “I need some camembert. Something to take my mind off this.” Grumbling, he added, “I can’t believe Tikki signed off on this…”

“Come on, Plagg! Don’t be a grumpy cat.” Adrien poked his kwami while he gnawed on a hunk of cheese, earning a small growl and flattened ears in way of reply. “It’s like a fairytale! She’s the dashing and beautiful princess charming and I’m here, locked away in my tower. Just waiting for her to rescue me!” 

“Seriously, kid?” 

“Woe is me!” Adrien draped himself against the wall, looking wistfully out the window. “When will my brave heroine save me from my imprisonment? Well, only one thing to do while I wait…” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“No no no, I don’t want to be part of any of this!”

It was a strange relationship that they’d sunken into. Plagg was, more often than not, what could be politely called a ‘trickster spirit’ and often did things just to annoy Adrien. Once he’d realized this, Adrien countered by annoying Plagg right back and one of the things Plagg liked least was what he called ‘non-cheese mushy stuff’. Like romance! Or Disney movies. So romantic Disney songs? His ultimate bane. Adrien began belting out what Disney songs he could remember, secure in the knowledge that unless someone was listening just outside his door, no one would barely be able to hear him. 

Somewhere after ‘Whole New World’ and just near the start of ‘When Will My Life Begin’, Adrien realized that Plagg had vanished and frowned. It was no fun teasing him if he couldn’t see the look on his face while he did it. Still singing obnoxiously, he looked around his room to find the kwami, only to notice that he had a visitor. Hanging from a thread outside his window. Who was giggling to herself. And _was Ladybug oh God_. Ladybug had just watched him prance around the room singing Disney songs. 

Quietly enough so that only Adrien could hear him, Plagg laughed to himself. 


	6. Working Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An immediate continuation of yesterday's prompt, with Ladybug whisking Adrien away.

“Are you about ready to leave?” Ladybug bit her lower lip in an attempt to suppress her giggling. 

“Leave? To w-where? Right now?” He knew the answers to those questions already, even if he lost track of time. It was hard to forget her asking Chat Noir if it was alright if she took Adrien out for patrol alone. Obviously, he’d given her his blessings, all while thanking his lucky stars she hadn’t asked Chat Noir to meet her fake boyfriend, Adrien Agreste. That would’ve been… bad. 

“Well, we don’t have to leave _now_. If you wanted to get changed or finish up something. Like m-maybe a few more verses?” Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she teased him, despite the blush already dusting her cheeks. “As for where we are going… it’s a whole new world.”

Adrien tried to pout, but he couldn’t fight down his smile. “As long as you’re there, I’d go anywhere.” 

She reached out a hand which we readily took and was pulled close to her. Soon they were swinging through the City of Lights at night. It was something he’d seen plenty of times already but there was no need to fake the wonder on his face. This never got old, no matter how often he saw it. And being carried by Ladybug just made it even better. 

His awe was dampened when he heard her gently singing, “Shining, shimmering, splendid.” 

He shot her an exasperated look, which only caused her to laugh. The sound echoed in his heart, making it impossible to stay annoyed. When they landed, he sighed dramatically. 

“I get the feeling I won’t be living that down for a while,” he said while kicking a pebble on the roof. He recognized the building - it was the home of an orchestra. One of his favorites, actually. How did she know…? Or maybe she just had exceptional taste. 

“Nope!” She looked at him affectionately. “But d-don’t worry, it’s cute. I’m just giving you a hard time. I’ve been known to sing Disney sometimes too.” The corners of her mouth rose. “Then again, I’m not nearly as…” Her brow furrowed in thought. “...Enthusiastic when I sing.” She leaned against a railing and looked out over the city.

“It’s a beautiful night.” He joined her on the railing. 

Her eyes flickered to him and where they were brushing up against each other. Ladybug hummed in agreement. “Y-yeah. I’m glad things are working out.” She frowned, a note of suspicion in her voice. “So far, at least.”

He tilted his head curiously at her. “‘So far?’ Are you expecting something to… go wrong?”

“It’s just… Chat Noir.” She made a sweep gesture, as if that was all that needed to be said.

“Is there something wrong about him...?” Adrien clamped down on his worry. He’d thought that their conversation had gone pretty well!

“Oh, he’s a wonderful guy, he’s just a bit… much sometimes.” She sighed. “I got his permission to take you out on patrol tonight, right? Well, I was expecting him to, I don’t know, protest, or try to woo me again, or even just smile sadly about it.” She tucked an errant hair behind her ear. “Instead, he gives his full approval, no strings attached.” Still leaning on the railing, she looked over at him and asked, “That sounds suspicious, right?”

“Well, maybe he knows that since it’s fake-”

“Ah! But he said all that before I even got the chance to tell him it was just a plot.” 

Oh. Adrien winced - looks like he got overeager to set his lady’s mind at ease. “Maybe he just… wants to see you happy?”

Ladybug didn’t seem convinced. “That’s more likely, but you don’t know Chat Noir like I do. He’ll definitely at least _try_ to win me over. I know it.” As if expecting him to suddenly appear, she scanned the horizon for any feline heroes that might be lurking. 

“I think you’re a little tense. I don’t think any cool cats are going to be dropping by anytime soon.” More sure than she could possibly know, but such is life with secret identities. From down below, the orchestra was starting up. Struck with an idea, he held out his hand to her. “Care for a dance?”

She took a moment to listen to the music before shaking her head nervously. “I… I know it s-sounds weird to, uh, say, but I’m not really all that… graceful.” His disbelief must have shown on her face since she stamped her foot and said, “It’s true! Outside the mask, I’m always tripping over things, like my feet... or just thin air.” She rubbed her arm.

Taking her hand, he pulled her close, but not too close. “Then I’ll teach you. That is,” he flashed a grin at her, “if you’re willing to follow my lead this time?”

There was the briefest moment where he thought he’d overplayed his hand, that she had figured him out. Where she was staring up at him with sudden clarity, eyes widening. But then the moment passed and she smiled.

“I’d like that.” 

Paris went without a patrol that night, but neither of Paris’s heroes could find it in their hearts to regret it.


	7. Fencing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug attends one of Adrien's tournaments.

Marinette watched Adrien’s face light up when she found him in the break room. “Ladybug! You made it!” 

While they hugged, she giggled into his shoulder. “You didn’t think that’d miss your fencing tournament, did you?” As they pulled away, she looked around the room at the stares she was starting to get from the other competitors. “Just wanted to, uh, wish you luck! So, um… good luck! I’ll be cheering from the sidelines.”

As she was leaving, Adrien caught her wrist. “Speaking of, ah, luck…” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and stared off to the side. “T-there is something you can do to help… if you want to, that is. You don’t have to, of course, and its completely fine if you don’t want to. In fact its-”

“Adrien.” His attention snapped back to her. “What do you want me to do?”

“Could I, uh, have a… kiss for luck?” His eyes flickered to hers and the urge to laugh only barely lost to the surprised blush that blossomed across her face. He was that nervous just for that? “Like I was saying, it’s totally cool if you don’t-”

She cut him off by cupping his face in her hands and pulling him down to her level, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek. A faint shadow of her lipstick left its impression there and she was secretly glad he’d be in his fencing mask for most the tournament.

She waved at him over he shoulder, pleased at the flustered expression on his face as she left. There would be time for her own meltdown later. “Good luck, Adrien!”

“Y-yeah… luck... good. Me.”

Leaving him to his final preparations, she tried to slink in unseen by the crowd, but it was hard to do so in a bright red costume. Thankfully, since she was in the VIP section, she was a little removed from the crowd, even as she waved and smiled as her fans as she passed. It didn’t take too long before the novelty of her arrival had worn off and she was left to her own thoughts and only the occasional passing stare. 

As the tournament began, Marinette put her chin on her hand and watched with a smile. It was scary times they were living through, but she knew love would keep her strong.


	8. Valentine's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien tries his best to ask Ladybug on a Valentine's Day date.

Shaking his head, Adrien crumbled up another piece of paper, tossing it into the rapidly filling waste basket next to him. Leaning back in his swivel chair, he rubbed his eyes and groaned. Plagg stopped chewing his camembert and gave Adrien a long, searching look. He’d been at it for over an hour now. Plagg had lost interest a minute in, shortly after becoming absolutely sure it had nothing to do with food or especially cheese. But now it seemed that the kid was getting frustrated and the only thing worse than the love sick mushiness was sulking Adrien.

While Adrien was still staring at the ceiling, Plagg asked, “What’s got you down, kid? Chinese worksheets?” No reaction. “School homework?” No change. “...Love letters?” Adrien grunted. “So what? I’m sure she won’t mind whatever you write so long as its sweet and from you. And we both know how sickeningly sweet you are. Bleh.” He stuck out his tongue while a faint smile found its way onto Adrien’s face.

“There’s more to it than that! Valentine’s Day is coming up and it’s going to be my big chance to really woo her!”

Through gritted teeth, the kwami replied, “You. Are. Dating. Am I the only one that remembers that fact?”

Sighing, Adrien replied, “You just don’t understand love.”

“Of course I do! I love camembert, don’t I? And I’m pretty fond of you.” Plagg crossed his arms. “I think that makes me the perfect being to say how dense you two are being.”

Great, now he’d done it. Adrien reached out a finger to pet the top of his head. Plagg was half a mind to tell him off before Adrien said quietly, “Thanks, Plagg. I love you too.” 

To Plagg’s great relief / annoyance, Adrien ceased petting him to return to writing. Whatever block was holding him back before seemed to have vanished since now he was breezing through the lines. Soon enough, he had a full sheet ready. After transferring the words to a middling quality paper heart (crafts had never been the boy’s strong suit), he let out a cry of triumph. 

“There’s no way she can say no to this!” Adrien looked around for Plagg, but he had long since ducked out of view since he got a feeling that Adrien would be having a visitor soon. True to form, just as Adrien spun around in a circle looking for him, he suddenly froze when he saw Ladybug hanging out just outside his window, one eyebrow raised. “L-ladybug!” He rushed forward and opened the window for her.

A smile playing at her lips, she dropped inside the room. “What can I not say no to?”

“Oh, uh, j-just a minute!” He bolted across his room and grabbed the paper heart. Unfortunately, in his haste, he knocked over his cup of water, drenching it. Plagg frowned - while he was fond of chaos and destruction, it hurt to watch it happen to his chosen. “No no no no no!” Adrien’s shoulders sagged and he sank into his chair. “It’s ruined…”

“Aw, I’m sorry, Adrien.” She crouched down next to him and pulled him into a half hug. Then it caught her eye and she picked up a corner of it carefully. “Was it, uh, for me…?” Dejectedly, Adrien nodded. “Well, what if you just… tell me what was on it?”

Red blossomed across his cheeks. “Well, I, uh, its… well.” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to know if you’d… want to go on a Saint Valentine’s Day date with me…?”

She smiled. “Of course! It’s been a little while since we’ve gone out in public together, right? This sounds perfect.”

To Ladybug’s surprise, his blush only worsened. “Well, that’s the thing. I was hoping we could just… go out alone.” His gaze remained solidly fixed to the ground just past Ladybug. “Just the two of us? T-together? Without the media involved.”

“O-oh! That’s, uh, we could definitely do th-that, if wanted you to be doing that?” She took a deep breath. “I mean, sure. We can do that. Twenty one hundred that day?”

A grin spread across his face as he finally met her eyes. “That’d be great!”

“Then it’s a date.” She hesitated a moment before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his cheek. Just as quickly as she arrived, she was gone.

In the emptiness of his room, Adrien rubbed his cheek and said, “It’s a date.”


	9. Clumsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Adrien get their Valentine's Day date.

Marinette had thought that meeting on top of a roof was a strange choice since only one of them was a superhero. But Adrien had insisted that he could handle getting up there - it was just getting down that would be the hard part. She let it slide and was treated to the full force of his surprise preparations. 

Despite her saying that an informal date would be just fine, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at what he’d done to make this the best Valentine’s date she’d ever had. Not that she had any others, but this would be difficult for Adrien to top in future years!

The space was lined with candles that pushed back the darkness just enough to see by without sacrificing the romance of the dark. The small space was covered in pink petals and in the center of that space was a sturdy cloth-covered table with a rose in a vase on it. She could tell he had thought she would be arriving latter since he was still getting the dinner itself set out on the plates. 

Which meant that he hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to get rid of the take out boxes proudly emblazoned with half a dozen local restaurants. He smiled sheepishly when she landed and took in the ambiance he had put together.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Too much?”

“No,” she said after a moment’s reflection. “It’s perfect.” As he relaxed, she took a seat and examined the eclectic meal before her. “What’s with all the different kinds of appetizers, though?”

“Well, I, uh… didn’t know exactly what your favorites were so I… stopped at a bunch of different places? I figured it could be like,” he put his hands up as if framing his words as he said them grandly, “The tastes of Paris!”

She giggled. “Sounds delicious. And dorky.” 

“I’m not dorky…” He pouted, which only caused her to giggle again. 

“Yes, you are, but that’s alright because its very cute, especially on you.” Despite her blush, she said it without even a single stutter.

Adrien, meanwhile, turned the color of a tomato and wisely took the compliment in silence. It wasn’t long before they’d struck up a pleasant conversation about nothing, just enjoying each other’s company for what it was as they worked through their meal. Once they were finished, they both stood up and she began walking towards the edge of the roof. She was eager to hang her legs over the edge and look out at the city. 

She smiled over her shoulder at him as she walked. "Thank you, for doing all of this. You didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"To be with a girl as special as you? On Valentine's day? It was no trouble."

"Special... right... savior of Paris and all that." 

"That's not what I meant! You know that, right? It’s not your powers or your suit. You're special to me, Ladybug. You hold a... very important place in my heart."

Blindsided, Marinette meant to turn on her heel, but the shock of what he’d said had knocked her out of Ladybug mode and straight into Marinette mode. And what did Marinette lack that Ladybug had? Grace. Now she was stumbling backwards, glancing down toward the street below.

Just as she started to pull her yo-yo out, a strong hand grabbed her and pulled her back to safety. Or, more specifically, onto Adrien, who fell on his behind with Marinette landing on top of him.

Laughing into his chest at their current situation, she says, “Adrien, I'm in an indestructible super suit, and even if I did fall, I'd yoyo back up here before you'd know I'd fallen." 

With a smirk, he replies, "Super suit or not, Miss Independent, perhaps you could let someone else look after YOU for a change."

"N-no I didn't mean- I mean I'm grateful you c-care… Not that I think you didn't care, you know I just…” She takes a deep breath, kicking herself. And she had been doing so good, too! “...Thank you, Adrien."

Rising to his feet, he extends a hand to her, a playful grin still on his face. “You’re welcome, Ladybug.”

The rest of their night went off without a hitch, but that grin, that mix of dashing with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, stayed with her even after she’d taken him home and she’d settled into bed. It had been oddly familiar, but… welcome, in a way. She hoped to see him wear it more.


	10. Oblivio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug visits Adrien just as a tag starts trending on the Ladyblog.

Adrien read the latest in a fresh crop of tabloid articles on his computer. This newest batch had started a few days ago when the picture following the Oblivio akuma had surfaced. Not that he’d forgotten it - the picture, at least. Frustratingly, he didn’t have memory of yet _another_ kiss he’d shared with Ladybug. At least he got the satisfaction of knowing that he’d made plenty of those memories in the time sense.

In fact, today was going to be one of those practice sessions - sessions which had gradually turned into something else entirely. There was still kissing, definitely. But it had taken a back seat to just hanging out together. Sometimes playing video games - for some reason, all the cute girls in his life were way too good at Mech Strike for his liking. Other times, they’d spend whatever limited time they had together just… talking. It was oddly cathartic for him. 

Still, this might not be something he wanted to talk to Ladybug about. Most articles were trying to create some sort of love triangle between Ladybug, Adrien and… Chat Noir. Which was both really weird and hilarious to him. He’d never thought that he could get in his own way when it came to pursuing Ladybug, but at least it’d make for a funny story after he’d finally gotten to reveal his identity to her. He lingered on a particular article that had gotten an especially good picture of a kiss between him and Ladybug, reveling in the emotions that it conjured up. 

“Wow,” came a familiar female voice beside him. “Good thing we practice so much. It looks so real for the camera!”

Adrien nearly leapt out of his skin and his head whipped to his right to see Ladybug seated beside him. She even had the audacity to wink at him and smile smugly. For some reason, she seemed to have enjoyed appearing from nowhere to startle him. 

“You alright, hot stuff?” Her smile didn’t waver as he composed himself. 

“Y-yeah,” he replied. “Just wasn’t expecting you for a while longer.”

“I finished up my project a little early, so I thought I’d surprise you.” Her smile dimmed a little. “...Is that bad?”

“N-no! You’re perfect. I mean! That’s perfectly fine. We’re fine.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway…”

“I’m glad.” She pulled up a seat next to him. “What are you reading about?” She frowned as she made her way through the article. Soon enough, her eyebrows twitched in annoyance. “They’ll really publish anything these days, won’t they?”

“I guess so…” He started closing tabs until all he was left with was the Ladyblog. It was very rare for him to close out of Alya’s site, even if he didn’t check it as often as he used to now that he was dating Ladybug. “You up for a couple matches of- What are you looking at?”

Eyes fixed on the screen, she asked with genuine curiosity, “Hey, Adrien? Do you know what the tag LadrienNoir means? And why is it trending?”


	11. Innocent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug learns about shipping.

The Ladyblog was Alya’s pride and joy, the pinnacle of her craft in journalism and her pet project that had taken on a life of its own. Despite that, Marinette never really done more than skim the site that had come to occupy so much of her best friend’s life - and even then, usually just for akuma updates. It felt almost shameful to Marinette that she didn’t do more with it, but what could she do? Read pages of speculation about herself? No, that was too much, even if it was for Alya’s sake.

What this all ultimately meant was that she wasn’t familiar with the layout of the Ladyblog, nor the various forums that were on it. So when she saw the trending tag of LadrienNoir in the corner of the screen, she had no idea that it represented what was the most popular ship in the fanfiction section of the site. Since she didn’t often pay attention to the fan community that had sprung up around her, she also wasn’t too familiar with their lingo - including ship names.

There were a lot of things she didn’t understand about the situation, but from Adrien’s red, embarrassed face and his attempt to hurriedly close out of the site, it was clear that _he_ at least had an inkling of what was going on. Before he could close the page, she’d snatched the mouse away from him and fixed him with a Look.

“Adrien… what’s so special about that tag?”

“N-nothing!” He withered under her stare and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, alright. Do you know about… shipping?”

She stared at him blankly, trying to think of a way to say that she didn’t without making herself look even more ignorant. The pause spoke for itself.

Pressing her close to his chest, he shook his head and said, “Oh you sweet summer child. Stay innocent forever.”

Despite wanting nothing more than to melt into the embrace, her curiosity had been stoked and Adrien was treating her like a child. Both were powerful motivating factors as she pulled out her yoyo. 

Brandishing it in front of Adrien’s face, she said, “Tell me what it is or I let google do the explaining.”

Letting her go, he held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, let’s not do anything hasty. So shipping is where you root for a relationship - our ship name is Ladrien, right?” She nodded slowly, but only got halfway through the motion before realization struck. Her suspicion was confirmed a moment later. “So can you guess was Ladrien Noir would be…?”

“ _Oh_.” Well that was one solution to her boy problems, but from the embarrassed look on his face, Adrien didn’t think so. Deciding to spare him from further explanations, she nudged him and asked, “Hey, you were saying something about playing some games earlier? How about it?”

Adrien took the lifeline for what it was and they got settled in, Marinette curling up against him on the couch as she got ready to absolutely crush him in Mecha Strike III. The perfect end to a long day.


	12. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien asks Ladybug about the future.

Adrien’ room was dark, lit only by the Mecha Strike III game over screen. They’d abandoned the game ages ago, having gotten too wrapped up in conversation to play another match. The hours had passed and while Adrien wasn’t entirely certain what time it was, he was pretty sure it was now officially Saturday. Definitely time to send Ladybug home and go to bed. Right?

Then he looked down where a head of silky black hair that took up most of his vision. Ladybug’s face was resting against his chest, eyes closed and mouth slightly open as she held onto him. Just seeing her like this made him never want to move again, lest he disturb her in even the slightest way. But she couldn’t spend the night here. He needed to get her to go home. Indecision kept him frozen as he watched her.

Eventually, he struck a balance and very quietly asked, “Ladybug? Are you awake?”

She stirred and without opening her eyes murmured, “Mhmm.”

Adrien knew he should wake her up, tell her she needs to go home, anything like that. But he couldn’t bear to see her leave. So instead, he asked her, “What do you think about when you think of the future?”

She hummed into his chest. “I think about… three children. I think about my career in fashion.” She blinked up at him with unfocused, sleepy eyes and smiled. “I think of a happy home where you don’t have to feel trapped.” She nuzzled up underneath his chin in a way he’s sure she would be too embarrassed to do if she were fully awake. “What do you...” She yawned, her resistance to the allure of sleep fading fast. “...Think about?” 

The rhythmic breathing of deep sleep immediately followed her last words. He shifted, cradling her in his arms as he brought her over to his bed and tucked her in. He brushed the hair out of her sleeping face and whispered, “You.”

Taking a pillow and blanket back to the couch, he only had enough time to set an alarm before following her lead into sleep.


	13. Meeting Gabriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel invites Ladybug over for dinner with Adrien.

Adrien straightened his tie, feeling more than a little ridiculous as he did so. While tonight was certainly special, he wasn’t even leaving the house! But his father was very insistent that all of them be wearing formal attire. After all, he had reasoned, it was a major occasion - it marked the first time he’d be meeting Ladybug since she started dating Adrien three months ago.

Gabriel had been pressuring Adrien to do this since the beginning. It wasn’t hard to simply shrug and point to their three busy schedules to get out of it, but his father caught on eventually that it certainly hadn’t stopped the two of them from sneaking out on dates during that time. After that, Adrien found his schedule forcibly cleared for the first time in years.

Which just left Adrien to fidget with his suit while waiting for both his lady to show up and the Gorilla to escort him to the dining room. His sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this - Adrien had the gut feeling that Gabriel wasn’t very happy with Ladybug, and after all she’d seen Adrien do on a daily basis, from the photo shoots to the sports practice, to the Chinese lessons, well... the feeling had become mutual. 

When he looked back up at his mirror again, he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Ladybug standing beside him. Her arms were behind her and she was looking up at the back of his head with a frown, a frown which quirked up into a brief smile when she saw his momentary freak out.

“How are you feeling, hot stuff?”

He scoffed at the nickname, despite the blush it brought to his face. “I’m not feeling much like hot stuff.” He smiled at her as he brought her hand up to kiss it. “But I’m better now that you’re here.” Sighing, he added, “I’m just worried about how this dinner will go is all.”

“Well, you won’t need to worry about me. I can handle myself just fine and I won’t be starting anything.” She muttered under her breath, “No matter how much he deserves it.” At his disapproving frown, she added, “Kidding, kidding! If Gabriel can be civil, so can I.”

“Thanks. Can you go around front and knock properly? It wouldn’t be good if dear old dad knew that you sneak into my room.”

Squeezing her hand one more time for good luck, he watched her leave through his open window and waited for his father to send for him. After a few long minutes, he heard the familiar hefty knock on his door and rushed down to meet them. As he rushed down the stairs as quickly as dignity would allow, he had the time to properly take in Ladybug’s attire.

Her attire consisted of a short black bubble skirt dress with flats. With her suit, it gave the impression she wore spotted tights, a clever way to hide her super-suit in plain sight. Add in a jean jacket and he could almost believe she was wearing a cute turtleneck under the dress with polka dot gloves. He grinned as he watched his father not-so-subtly examine the craftsmanship and caught all the little signs that he was impressed with the work and unhappy about it.

Unfortunately, that anger got redirected towards him. “Ah, Adrien. It’s about time you got down here. Did you intend to leave us waiting for much longer?” 

Adrien faltered at the bottom of the stairs. He’d gone as fast as he could, but apparently that still wasn’t good enough. “Sorry, father.” 

As his father turned around to head towards the dining room, he saw Ladybug glare at the back of his head, but didn’t say anything. At least, not until they had been seated and were waiting on the meal to be brought out to them.

"I'm SO glad you could take the time to meet me, Mr. Agreste. Adrien has mentioned that it's often hard to get any time with you." Despite her sweet smile, Adrien could feel the judgement in her voice.

Apparently, Adrien wasn’t the only one who picked up on it. His father cleared his throat. "Yes, well, with the new line almost out, I have a few more minutes to spare, especially to the young lady who's had such a... _strong_ impact on my son." His eyes narrowed in a challenging stare. 

"Oh I don't know about that,” came her reply, filled with false cheerfulness. “He's a wonderful boyfriend all on his own. So attentive and affectionate and _always present for the people he cares about_." 

"I'm almost surprised you had time to meet with me today. Aren't you supposed to be flinging yourself around Paris on a string, like on the news?" Venom dripped from his voice.

"A yoyo, actually."

Before his father could respond, the Gorilla arrived, pushing a cart with platters of food on it. A tense silence descended on the group and Adrien’s eyes darted between his girlfriend and his sole remaining family. To his immense relief, they had turned their attention to the main course. An uneasy peace settled over the table.

Once they were halfway through, Gabriel broke the silence. “So. I noticed your clothes lack a brand label. Despite this, they seem to be… of exceedingly good quality,” he noted begrudgingly. “May I inquire as to where you obtained them?”

“Of course! I intended the outfit to be for public events, but this is a decent enough debut for it, I suppose. To answer your question, I commissioned an up-and-coming young designer for them.” She giggled. “You know how it is. Young, fresh talent certainly has the best ideas compared to the stuffy elitists.”

As Gabriel sputtered indignantly, Adrien cut him off by grabbing a plate off the dinner cart. “Desserts, anyone?”


	14. Pictures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Ladybug go on a date in the park

Adrien drank in the sound of her laughter. It wasn’t often that he broke her down with his jokes and puns, but he savored every musical moment of it while it lasted. 

They were taking advantage of the warmer weather to go for a walk in the park. It was still chilly, but that had benefits all its own. Less people to recognize them. Ladybug stayed close to him, basking in his warmth. They had a valid excuse to be bundled up in identity-concealing clothes.

Their disguises were a little ridiculous and reminded him of the other time he’d wore a disguise with a cute girl to escape his fans, a memory that would have brought a smile to his face if there hadn’t been a smile there already. Thinking of Ladybug’s current attire, however, reminded him of something.

“You never told father who you actually commissioned from,” he said, thinking aloud. 

“Oh, right! He got all upset _for some reason_ , and I never got to say…” She shrugged. “Did you want to know?”

“I’ll admit, I’m curious. He was right that those clothes are good quality, so I’m sure whoever you got them from is going to have a bright future ahead of them.”

Smiling fondly, she squeezed his hand and said, “I’m sure Marinette Dupain-Cheng will be happy to hear that.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Why am I not surprised? Marinette has serious talent, and even better she has a passion for what she does. Mark my words, she’ll be even bigger than my father one day.”

“Will you be cheering her on the whole way?” She asked in a small, awed voice, making Adrien realize he might have accidentally gushed about Marinette again.

“Y-yeah, definitely.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I kinda got carried away there.”

“No problem.” She bit her lower lip as she considered something. “Adrien…?”

“Hm?”

“If I wasn’t around, would you have seen Marinette as… more than a friend?”

Heat spread out across Adrien’s face and he struggled to keep it together. “W-well, I, you know, she’s-”

“Be honest! I’m not going to be mad one way or another. I trust you - I’m just curious.”

He took a deep breath and searched his feelings. “...Yeah. I think so. I’m not sure if she’d feel the same about me, though.”

To his shock, Ladybug scoffed. Before he could ask, there was a click of a camera. He looked to the side to see someone pointing their phone towards them.

“It’s Adrien Agreste! Which means she must be…” The person’s eyes bulged open. “LADYBUG! I’m your biggest fan!”

Adrien muttered so only Ladybug could hear him, “Somehow, I doubt that.” Ladybug giggled.

The fan had gone on, gushing about how much they loved their relationship and while Adrien listened patiently, a crowd was beginning to form. Before he could say anything about it, Ladybug had scooped him up and was twirling her yo-yo.

“Sorry, folks! No interviews today. Bug out!”

Once they were alone again on a rooftop, Adrien smiled. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”

“Yeah…” Despite the interruption, Ladybug had a pleased look on her face.

“It doesn’t have to end here though, right? We could go back to my place and hang out a little longer.” 

She laughed. “Haven’t I beaten you enough at Mecha Strike this week?” Shaking her head, she added, “I have some homework to do tonight, so here was a good place to end anyway.” She wrapped an arm around him. “Let’s get you back to your tower, prince.”

“My hero,” he replied drily, even as he smiled all the way back.

After a chaste kiss goodbye, he watched her disappear into the cityscape. With a sigh, he turned back inside. Coincidentally, he also had homework to do.


	15. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A formal evening as Adrien and Ladybug go on a dinner date.

Another day, another disguise, Marinette thought to herself as she took a sip of her water, distantly listening to Adrien talk about one of his favorite shows. Granted, this was an improvement on her previous dresses - it was hard to tell that she was currently transformed unless someone were specifically looking for it.

Adrien’s gushing was cut off when the waiter appeared with their order. As Marinette was about to dig in, she noticed that Adrien hadn’t moved for his food yet. She blushed under his scrutiny.

“Is there, um, something wrong?”

“Oh! Uh, nothing it’s just…” He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously. “You look beautiful today.” His eyes widened. “Not that you don’t always! It’s just that today especially-” He cleared his throat and picked up his fork. “Anyway… so. Is that another commission?”

She giggled at how flustered he was. It was… empowering, that she had the power to do that to him, especially after how easily he’d send her into a babbling mess as Marinette. She nodded. “Yes. From Marinette.” Talking about herself in the third person continued to feel strange, but if it helped her maintain her secret identity, she could handle a little discomfort.

“She must be even more talented than I thought if she can pull off all that so quickly.” 

It would be, if Marinette hadn’t already been working on this for a while. A few modifications to her last outfit and some accessories were all that was really necessary to pull the look off. But Adrien didn’t need to know that, did he?

“I choose only the best,” Marinette smiled. “No offense.”

Adrien snorted. “None taken. I’ve worn and seen enough Gabriel brand clothing to last me a bunch of lifetimes.” He leaned forward conspiratorially and she obliged him by leaning in too. “He won’t even let me leave the house if most of my wardrobe isn’t from one of his lines. But since he doesn’t have a huge line of stuff that would be appropriate for me, I’ve got a closet full of identical shirts, jeans, and jackets.”

“Aw, you poor boy,” Marinette cooed. “Maybe my next commission can be for you?” 

A flicker of a smile lit his face. “I think I’d like that. Even if I’d have to hide it from father.”

While they started to talk about other things, Marinette wondered to herself. Why _had_ they bothered to hide their identities? The privacy was nice, true, but that wasn’t the point. They were _supposed_ to get swarmed by fans and reporters and the like. That was the plan from the start… right?

Or had the plan changed? Was there even a plan anymore? But, as she talked with Adrien, she found that she didn’t care whether there was one or not. They were here, together, and that was all that really mattered.


	16. Blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien tries to get some homework done. He is not successful.

Adrien sat down at his desk, trying his best to focus on his homework and failing utterly. It was hard to get her out of his head these days, and the subject matter wasn’t helping at all. He closed his Chinese book in a huff, covering his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. What he needed was a break. Maybe a round of Mecha Strike to practice?

As he got out of his chair, he froze part way toward his personal television when he realized his window was wide open. While he stared at it in confusion, he heard a voice behind him, “Something the matter, hot stuff?”

He whirled around to see Ladybug standing there with her arms behind her back, smirking at him. Since when was she so stealthy? “La-Ladybug! You scared me, I didn’t know you were coming over today.”

She shrugged lazily as she walked over to her to where he had just been working. “I got done with my projects today and I thought: What would be the best possible use of my time today?” She idly flipped open his worksheet and briefly glanced over it. “And then I wondered - what is my sunshine prince up to right now?” 

Adrien swallowed heavily, heat rising to his face and his eyes glued to her. She usually wasn’t so… bold. Not that he was complaining, of course... “I was, ah, doing some homework. Ch-chinese, actually. I just finished piano practice j-just a little while ago.”

She sauntered over to him, hands back behind her back. “And that’s after you had that modeling session today, right? And went to school on top of that?”

“Y-yeah…?” 

The distance between them was practically nonexistent as she leaned into his space, that smirk still on her face. “You’re amazing. You know that?”

His heart skipped a beat, but what really melted him on the spot was when she followed it up with a wink. Just as he felt his face burning down to his chest, Ladybug quickly backed up and pulled out her yoyo. He heard the snap of a picture being taken.

Since he didn’t trust himself with human speech, he settled for saying, “Wuh?” 

The cool confidence she’d been displaying melted away, leaving her standing sheepishly in front of him. “Ah, sorry. I wanted a picture of you as a background.” 

“But… why all the…?”

“Well,” she said, some of the confidence returning, “you are _especially_ cute when you’re blushing.” As the blush returned, she smirked. “Yeah, just like that.”  
“Ladybug!” He whined. 

She giggled. “Sorry. Want to watch a movie to make up for it?”


	17. Aspix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki tries to do damage control.

“I think Adrien would make a good miraculous hero,” Marinette almost idly said. As if it didn’t send a spear of panic through her kwami. 

Tikki almost choked on her cookie at her chosen’s suggestion. Once she had recovered, she cautiously replied, “Uh… what makes you say that…?”

As Tikki said that, she floated over to where Marinette had been diligently at work for the past couple hours. She had assumed it had been homework, or possibly standard designing, but instead she saw pages of sketches about Adrien. And not the usual kind either, where she would recreate his photoshoots or sketch their wedding attire. No, in these drawings he was in a different kind of suit entirely. It was almost reassuring, in a way, to see all the different miraculous she’d imagined him in - the Dog, the Ram, the Rabbit, the Snake and a few others besides.

Relief that she hadn’t figured out Adrien’s secret was quickly replaced by realization. “You aren’t planning on giving him a miraculous, are you?!”

“Well,” Marinette finally stopped sketching in favor of tapping her pencil against her hand, “Hawkmoth has been quiet lately, but I’m sure that won’t last forever. And who knows when we might need another temporary hero?” She shrugged with a nervous smile. “Just… something to consider, right?”

“We already have plenty of temps, right? It’s not likely that we’ll need a new one any time soon.” Not to mention that if she tried to give him a miraculous it would no doubt end with either Chat Noir being mysteriously unable to show up, or, even worse, a reveal happening. 

“I know but…” She turned back to her finished pieces and ran her fingers along one of them - the snake. “Adrien’s loyal and honest and just… so kind! I’m sure he’d make a great hero!”

Gently, Tikki patted her head. “I know he would be, but we already have enough heroes, right?” Suddenly struck by inspiration, she added, “Besides, how would he be able to fit superheroics into his already busy schedule? We can barely manage it and our schedule isn’t nearly as tightly packed!”

“I guess you’re right, Tikki, but still…” She leaned against her hand as she stared down at the heroes she had created. “Wouldn’t it have been great to fight alongside Adrien?”

“At least you still have Chat Noir!” 

She scoffed. “I almost forgot! Maybe it’s for the best that Adrien doesn’t join. Somehow, I don’t see Adrien getting along well with Chat Noir.” 

Although Tikki dodged a bullet there, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated by her victory.


	18. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a rough day, but Marinette knows just the way to make it better.

Marinette was not having a good day. 

From messes made to project setbacks to school bullies, it had been a rough day for her. Maybe that was why she chose not to be Marinette right now, but rather Ladybug. It was certainly why she was swinging through Paris was a single destination in mind. After all, it was nice to vent to Alya, but she loved being with Adrien. No one else could make her feel as at peace as he could. Hopefully he could do that for her now.

As she landed on the roof and prepared to lower herself to his window, the sound of a piano rose up to meet her. Her muscles, unconsciously tensed during her long day, relaxed a little. She knew that practicing the piano wasn’t something that he chose, but she couldn’t help but appreciate the skill he had acquired in it. Or maybe it was just because it was music that he played that made it sound so sweet to her. Either way, she sat down to listen to Adrien play for a little while longer. 

Once the music stopped, she lowered herself down and for a moment wondered if she wanted to ambush him again. It had been pretty fun the first few times, getting him back for all the times he’d appeared out of nowhere to her as Marinette. But today felt a touch more serious, so she reigned in the urge and knocked against the window.

She got her first good look at him as she leaned against the glass. He had already changed into his pajamas and was stretching as he stood up from his piano bench, facing away from her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw something black move, but when she looked in that direction didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Well, except for that trash bin moving as if something had been forcibly thrown into it...

“Ladybug?” She squeaked as the window opened. She had been paying so much attention to the trash bin she had failed to notice Adrien’s approach. “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!” He stepped to the side and held out his hand. “Would you like to come in?”

“Of course!” She took his hand and landed gracefully inside his bedroom. Adrien closed the window behind her and stepped in front of her. 

“So…” He smiled and clapped his hands behind his back. “How was your day?”

She deflated a little. “Not great, actually.”

“Oh.” His smile vanished. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I can’t. It’s about civilian stuff.” She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling silly for coming out here. Had she just expected him to just magically fix her problems? “I’m sorry, I should go…”

“Wait!” He caught her wrist. “Listen, I know we can’t talk about things that could reveal your identity, but… let me at least try to help?” She was about to argue, but when she saw the earnestness in his eyes, well, how could she say no. “Awesome! You won’t regret this!”

He rushed across the room and picked up his phone, attaching it to some speakers. The music that came out was a familiar slow dance song that she knew very well. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat as she remembered it from her first dance with Adrien - as Marinette. But no, he’d tell her if he knew… right?

While she was frozen with indecision, he came up to her and put a hand on her waist while guiding her hand to his shoulder. She let him take the lead as they danced in small circles around his room. The rest of the world and all its troubles melted away and left them alone in blissful harmony. Before she knew it, the song was over. But that didn’t stop them from gently swaying with each other for a few minutes longer. 

“Feeling better?”

“Mhm…” She hummed into his chest.

“Do you want to try something more advanced?” 

“I don’t know…” Her natural clumsiness was _mostly_ gone when she was Ladybug, but she didn’t want to press her luck more than she had to.

“You’ve been doing great so far! And you did just say that it's been helping.”

Once again, his enthusiasm was infectious and she was roped into learning a few dances from him - mostly formal ones, but it was a good time regardless. As the night deepened, she laughed and danced with him. In doing so, she let go of the worries that had brought her there in the first place. It was always the effect he had on her was she was close to him.


	19. Love Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien receives love letters from Ladybug.

Adrien opened his locker and a pink envelope drifted down to land gently on the floor. 

It was impressive, really. Not just the letters, which were always practically a work of art with the excellent calligraphy, poetry, even the scent. They had quickly become prized possessions of his, physical proof of Ladybug’s affection for him. He had treasured every one that he had gotten so far, tucked safely away in his desk at home. After all, he’d need them later on when he showed them to their children. 

No, what he found most impressive was how she had managed to get them into his locker this often without him noticing. He’d been especially vigilant for watching out the window to see if he could catch a glimpse of Ladybug sailing through Paris. How else would she manage to reach his school so frequently? But he’d yet to see those spots no matter how often he’d not pay attention in class. 

He knelt down to grab the letter and as his fingers brushed against it, his eyes widened and he tensed up in realization. Maybe he hadn’t seen her because she wasn’t leaving them as _Ladybug_. But then that would mean she went to school close by, which was impossible since even with the hour lunch break, she wouldn’t have enough time to get there and back again. Or… or it meant that Ladybug went to his school. He could have been in the same class as her. Even going to the same lessons as her!

Maybe it was just a coincidence. Ladybug was smart - one of the most ingenious people he had ever met. Maybe she just found a way to get there fast, or maybe she had someone else put the letter in for her. 

Yeah. That sounded more likely. He relaxed and got to his feet, envelope held reverently in his hand. As he rose, his eyes locked on sapphire blue ones peeking around the corner at him. For one moment there was a connection between them, a charged understanding as their cheeks heat up. 

Just as Adrien opened his mouth, the bell rang, jarring both of them. Marinette vanished, leaving Adrien alone with his thoughts. He knew that he was going to be late, but there were more important things to consider right now. 

He remembered something Ladybug had said, what felt like ages ago, during a walk in the park that got cut short.

_“If I wasn’t around, would you have seen Marinette as… more than a friend?”_

Maybe… he already did. For so much longer than he realized.


	20. Soft Touches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a vacation that was anything but, Adrien just wants some quality time with his lady.

Adrien was tense.

It had been a few weeks since he’d figured out Ladybug’s identity - or at least, he was fairly sure he’d done it. Maybe he was just reading into things. It felt too good to be true, but that almost made him believe it more. After all, who else could Ladybug be if not for sweet, caring, awesome Marinette? Only the magic of the miraculous could have made him not see it earlier.

But after two weeks of not getting any alone time with either Ladybug or Marinette? Doubt was starting to set in. But even worse was the loneliness. During his life, he’d gotten pretty used to it. When he started going to school, that all changed as he got friends. Dating Ladybug had been like a dream, with her being a near constant presence in his life. Which only made the start of his summer ‘vacation’ even worse. 

Two weeks he’d been forced to spend practically by himself in the French Alps. Oh sure, technically his father was there, and some staff as well. The space wasn’t _empty_ , but aside from the occasional lunch together, Gabriel holed himself up in his room to work on designs or take business calls or whatever the excuse of the hour was. Maybe Adrien could have dealt with that a year ago, like he always did this time of year. But after knowing what it was like to be wanted? To be loved? It was maddening.

This was his first night back. There was no way she couldn’t know, since for some reason Hawkmoth had been very quiet during that time. There was no news to report, so they jumped on the return of the Agreste family into Paris. Just to be sure, he sent a message through the group chat to let his friends - and Marinette especially - know that he was back in Paris. But would she show? Was she busy? He didn’t want to feel needy, but he’d gotten too used to physical contact with people. He felt wired and twitchy despite returning from what was allegedly a relaxing vacation.

It should come as no surprise then that when there was a light tapping at his window, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He rushed over to the window and pushed it open. He held out his hand to help her into his room, but her feet had barely touched the floor before Ladybug was hugging him close. Her face was buried in his chest, and he nuzzled against the top of her head, fighting back the tears of relief that were pricking the corners of his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t be getting this emotional after so little time apart, but it was hard to argue against the tidal wave of affection coursing through him.

Adrien wasn’t sure how exactly they ended up cuddling on his couch, though he supposed there was walking and - knowing who his lady was - perhaps a little falling involved. For now, all that mattered was her arms around his chest, his fingers in her hair, and the warmth they shared between them. 

Yet even in this bliss, Adrien was staring at the ceiling, knowing that he would need to do something about the knowledge that he had accidentally acquired.


	21. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien does his best to reveal himself to Ladybug without outright saying it.

After basking in Ladybug’s presence, Adrien realized he couldn’t hide from the truth anymore. He was almost certain that she was Marinette, which upset the balance between them. She had always pushed Chat Noir away, kept him at arm’s length emotionally. Would she feel differently about being deceived into liking him anyway? Even though it hurt him to imagine, he had to let her decide if it was a deal breaker. 

The only problem was that he _knew_ she would be mad if he just told her outright that he was Chat Noir. That was the biggest rule that had been drilled into them since the very beginning - the protective wall of secret identities had to be maintained. Neither of them had liked it, but Ladybug - Marinette - took their duties as superheroes very seriously. He couldn’t just tell her… could he?

His eyes lit up as he realized that if _he_ could figure it out with a little help, so could she. He just had to make sure that he was very, very subtle about this… she can’t suspect anything was off. 

\----------------------------

Something was off, Marinette reflected as they continued on this conversation Adrien had suddenly sprung into. One minute she was almost dozing to Adrien’s heartbeat, the next she was blinking tiredly as he slowly coerced a discussion out of her. It wasn’t that she disliked talking to him - far from it. It simply felt like topics came and went at a breakneck pace. 

“You know, sometimes it think I use too much product in my hair.” Adrien ran his fingers through his hair with a speculative frown. “Do you think it would look okay if I let it hang in my face like this?" He mussed his hair, making it look wild and untamed. Or, at least for a moment before it began to settle back into place. 

“Maybe.” She giggled into her hand. “You can definitely even make bedhead look fashionable. Must be those purebred model genes of yours.”

He huffed, getting a strand of hair out of his face. Before long, he was excited again. “My father always puts me in these bright colors for my photoshoots. What do you think about black, LB? Might bring out my eyes... maybe some leather...?" 

Outside her mask, she felt like she would’ve been a blushing, sputtering mess right now. Even with the mask, she was pushing down the rush of heat that flooded her at the mental image Adrien had conjured, intentionally or not. On the outside, she laughed it off and playfully pinched his cheek.

“Sorry to tell you this, hot stuff, but you are way too much of a good noodle to pull off the ‘bad boy’ look.” She tapped her chin and smiled. “Although let me know if you decide to tell your dad about that idea. I’d love to see the look on his face.”

His attempt at a scowl dissolved as he grinned at the idea. “You’ll have front row seats to his meltdown, I promise.” She had a moment’s respite before he snapped his fingers in realization. “Say! Did I tell you that there is a lot of cross applicable skills between fencing and bo staff fighting…?”

He went on like this for a while longer. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he was growing more and more frustrated as the conversation wore on. Maybe the erratic topic changes was wearing him out? Whatever the reason, Marinette was secretly relieved when they settled on something normal to talk about, even if Adrien was acting a little sullen. 

“Do you want to watch a movie? I’ll even let you choose tonight.” They’d watched plenty together, but almost always Adrien had insisted on letting her pick them out. As a result, they’d seen more than their fair share of musicals and Disney films. She was hoping that letting him have free reign would break him out of whatever funk he’d settled himself into. And who knows? She might learn something new about him.

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he squirmed uncertainly in place. “...You won’t laugh at me?”

It was the small, vulnerable voice he’d said it in that made her frown. “Of course not!”

He got up hesitantly and opened a drawer to dig out a dvd she hadn’t seen in his collection. As Adrien started it up and settled next to her, she raised an eyebrow as she recognized the title of the cheesiest romance movie she’d ever watched. And she had definitely seen it before - Alya had been particularly insistent during one sleepover. While Alya had been reduced to tears by the end, Marinette had been less than impressed. It was filled with grand romantic gestures and little cliches like roses and candle lit dinners. But the worst was that the male lead was a prolific punster, even if he thought he was so sly-

Her eyes widened and she glanced at Adrien out of the corner of her eye. He was utterly entranced by the movie, just as she had suspected. Everything clicked into place and she shook her head. No wonder he was such a dork, if this is what he had been basing his idea of romance on this whole time. Something about that dorkiness made it easier to accept and she relaxed. 

She leaned her head against his shoulder. Sometime soon, she somehow had to let him know that she had figured out he is Chat Noir. But for now, she let him watch his favorite movie in ignorant bliss.


	22. Admirer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette decide that their rooms could do with some major changes.

Marinette returned home late that night in an odd mood, which Tikki picked up on very quickly.

“So you know now.” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement. 

“That Adrien is Chat Noir? Yeah. He made it hard not to figure out with his choice of movies and all.” 

For the briefest moment, Marinette thought she could see Tikki’s eye twitch. She must have imagined it though, because Tikki’s voice was nothing but understanding when she spoke again. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Good question.” Marinette glanced around her room to find Adrien’s emerald stare looking back at her from every angle. At one point, she found it comforting to be surrounded like this. But now? It felt… weird. Now that she knew the person behind the model, she could see that the smiles weren’t genuine, the carefree was faked, and the illusion of ‘cool’ was just that - an illusion.

And yet… she loved him all the more for it. 

She had always been in love more with Adrien’s kindness and gentleness rather than his looks. But now she understood him in a way that no magazine interview or poster could have taught her. Yet she was still surrounded by all these carefully manufactured facades of the person she had been dating. 

Very carefully, she began to take down the posters, folding them up and putting them aside. She dragged an old box and filled it up with pictures cut from ads and magazines, official merchandise of the Agreste brand. When she was done, she looked around and frowned. Her room felt… barren without him. 

She sat at her computer and pulled up articles from the last few months. She saved pictures of dates between them, the perfect moments of love and laughter that were captured on film. She dug through her phone and dragged up pictures from the few times they’d be together as civilians with Alya and Nino. 

If she was going to have Adrien looking back at her from pictures, it was going to be the real Adrien, in all his loving dorkiness. 

\------------------------------------

Adrien sat on the couch for a while after Ladybug left, staring into space, considering.

“Well, kid. You gave it your best shot, right?” Plagg munched on some cheese, far too close by for Adrien’s liking. “So what’s the next stage of your inspired plan?”

“What do you mean?” That was kinda it as far as his plots had gone. After all Ladybug - Marinette - was more of the thinker between them.

“If you’re right - and I can never confirm nor deny that - then you now know who Ladybug is. And I think you’ve been dancing around that realization for a while now.” Plagg swallowed heavily and floated over to be just in front of Adrien. “So Pigtails is LB. Does that change anything for you?”

Adrien was about to say that of course it didn’t, but that wouldn’t really be true, would it? 

This changed everything. 

Ladybug was no longer a perfect heroine, the very image of grace and confidence. She was shy, awkward Marinette, who would trip over air whenever she didn’t trip over herself. The same person who he’d only rarely hear form a coherent sentence around him was the same person who could fearlessly face down even the most powerful akumas. Suddenly, Ladybug wasn’t a perfect heroine, but a person, a flawed human.

In short? She was better than perfect. 

Adrien leapt up, causing Plagg to chuckle. “There you go.”

He rushed over to his closet, where he stored his Ladybug merchandise and threw it open. A pile of things poured out and he felt immediate embarrassment. Most of the things here didn’t have any meaning to him beyond the fact that they had the red with black spots on them. Shaking his head, he got to work. Most of it he was sure would find a good home after he dropped it off for charity. 

In the end, all he was left with was the handful of things she had made him - either as Ladybug, or as Marinette. A scarf. A pair of gloves. A bundle of love letters. Every single one of them more precious than the whole heap of goods he’d hoarded. Once, he’d kept them as a token of her. But now they felt cheap - a reminder of the person he loved, made by other people. Lifeless and meaningless. 

It was enough to know that she loved him, just as he realized his love for her had only gotten stronger after learning who she was.


	23. The Press

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien makes the news and Marinette gets worried.

It was midafternoon by the time Marinette had decided she needed a break from her most recent project. Saturdays were usually pretty busy for her, whether it was helping out in the bakery or working on another design and today was no exception. With an apple in hand for a light lunch, she idly scrolled through her social media to see what was happening in Paris today.

She paused halfway through the motion of bringing the apple to her mouth when she saw a flood of headlines - admittedly, mostly tabloids - proclaiming the end of the relationship between Ladybug and Adrien Agreste. Setting down her lunch, she let curiosity outweigh caution and read a few of those articles. While they were mostly speculation, there _were_ a few hard facts that were worrying her.

Earlier today, Adrien Agreste had been seen donating a heap of Ladybug merchandise at a local charity. Toys, blankets, posters, all sorts of things had been left there. Adrien himself declined to comment on it, simply saying that he didn’t need any of it anymore. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” 

She glanced down to see Tikki’s big, concerned eyes staring back up at her. “I don’t know.” She leaned back in her swivel chair. “I’m just trying to figure out why Adrien got rid of all that. Are they right? Is Adrien losing interest in me?” Her eyes widened and she sat up straight. “Oh no! Do you think he found out my identity and didn’t like what he saw?”

Tikki smiled faintly as she flew up to Marinette’s face. “Did your opinion change when you found out about him and Chat Noir?”

“No- well, yes, but for the better. I think? Ugh,” she groaned buried her face in her hands. “I know it’s just paranoia, but now I’m scared. Sure, they’re probably wrong, but what if they're _right_?”

“There is just one thing to do about it, then.” When Marinette looked up at Tikki curiously, she smiled softly at her. “Talk to him! At the core, you two are at least friends. You can have an honest conversation with him about this. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about, but if it bothers you that much, I know he’d be willing to talk to you.”

Marinette bit her lower lip for a moment before nodding. “You’re right, Tikki. I think Adrien and I need to talk - about this, and about… everything.”

Tikki’s eyes widened. “Are you sure it’s time?”

With only a little hesitation, Marinette nodded. “Yes. Tonight, I’m telling Adrien that I know he is Chat Noir.”


	24. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reveal™ happens!

Adrien answered the knock at the window like he always did - with a wide, genuine smile. It was hard not to. After all it was always a pleasure to see her. Nonetheless, his grin dimmed when he saw the concern etched plainly on her face. It would seem that tonight was not for pleasure. A feeling which became all the more pronounced when she stood before him, shyly holding one arm while not meeting his gaze. A Ladybug without confidence was a rare sight, one that was making him worried.

“Can we talk, Adrien?”

Still uncertain, he nodded and guided her over to the couch. They sat down in silence as Ladybug struggled with what to say. Eventually, she seemed to give up and her words came out in a rush.

“I saw you on the news and I usually don’t pay attention to those sort of things but I did today because they had pictures of you which was a good start but it was pictures of you taking a lot of Ladybug stuff into a donation place and you wouldn’t say _why_ you were giving those things away and there was so much way more than I even guessed and I just was scared that it meant you didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

While she was taking deep breaths to recover, Adrien had to take a moment to process all of it. Then it finally clicked and he realized what she was talking about. He couldn’t help himself - he had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. This did not reassure her. 

Pouting, she gently punched his shoulder. “Hey! I’m being serious!”

“Bugaboo,” he said slowly, moving closer to her. “I’m offended.” His smile undercut his words. “First, do you really think I would ever stop wanting to be with you? And second, _if_ that impossible thing would happen, you would be the first to know - not some tabloid. I owe you that much, at least.”

Her relieved smile was cut short with a familiar expression. It was a calculating look, one he was well acquainted with from the many times he’d seen it in the heat of battle. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she spoke.

“You’re Chat Noir.”

For a moment, he felt like a pit had opened up in his stomach. While he realized he’d been _trying_ to reveal himself to her, keep it a secret all this time had left its mark on him. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and nodded.

“And you’re Marinette.”

She jerked back, eyes widening. “How did you-? How _long_ have you-”

“The love letters. I saw you peeking that one time and I could just feel it in my heart.” He reached out tentatively for her hand and squeezed it, feeling relieved when she squeezed back.

“Well,” she said with a hesitant smile. “I had to make sure you got it. And the faces you make when reading them…” She squirmed excitedly. “So cute!”

He blinked at her. “Wait. That wasn’t the first time you were watching?!”

“Well yeah. Seeing your reaction was half the reason I was writing them!” While he drummed his fingers against the couch irritatedly - how sneaky _was_ this woman? - she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. “You haven’t asked me how I figured _you_ out, hot stuff.”

“Uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, once I knew who you were I thought you should know too, so I started dropping… hints. I was scared you didn’t pick up on them.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, you made it pretty obvious when you pulled out that movie. I can only think of two people who like it unironically and you definitely aren’t Alya!”

“The… movie…?” He stared at her blankly. “ _That’s_ what tipped you off?!”

“Well, you were acting weird the whole time, but yeah, that’s what finally did it for me.” She shook her head. “No wonder you are such a dork when it comes to flirting.”

“I can’t have been _that_ bad.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I got _you_ , didn’t I?”


	25. Hiding

Marinette pulled the blanket over her head as the light filtered in from far too many windows. The bed was softer than she was used to, and smelled achingly familiar. It took her a few minutes to place the scent and when she did it all came rushing back to her.

It had been a late night for both of them, talking and talking until the early hours of the morning. So late that she was too tired to be swinging home. Adrien had insisted she take his bed, despite how much she claimed she would be fine sleeping on the couch. _She_ wasn’t the one going to a photoshoot today, after all. But he had been such a frustrating gentleman about it that she yielded. Not that she regretted it - the bed was soft, and smelled like him. It was the next best thing to being cuddled up next to him.

On some level, she understood she should probably get up and go home before anyone noticed she was missing. Granted, her parents wouldn’t be poking their heads into her room for another couple hours, but it wasn’t wise to take risks like this. At least, that’s what Tikki would say, if she was awake right now. Marinette couldn’t help herself though. Now that there were no secrets between them, she felt completely at ease here. A burden she didn’t realize she had been holding was now being shared between them - they only people who could truly understand what each other was going through.

That relaxed state deteriorated when she heard Adrien stretching on the couch, and the gentle sound of bare feet against the wood floors. She snagged his hand as he passed.

“Nooooo…” She whined, eyes finally opening, but still keeping most of her face concealed by the blanket.

Chuckling, he squeezed her hand and sat down next to her. “Bugaboo, I’ve got to go. I think they’ll notice if I go missing.”

“Then we’ll run away. You and me. Hiding from our responsibilities. Morning snuggles forever. No photoshoots.”

“Tempting as that sounds - and trust me, it is _very_ tempting - I can’t.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead and she lunged out to hug his waist. “Come on, Mari, I really need to-”

His words were cut off as she dragged him into the bed and she settled her head against his chest. After a few moments, he wrapped his arms around her.

She barely heard his whispered words of, “Okay, okay, but only for a few minutes,” before she drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up next, the sly cat had slipped her grasp and had replaced himself with a body pillow… of himself. She lingered only for a few minutes longer - enough to let Tikki recharge - before heading home, new body pillow underarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, whoops, I forgot I posted a chapter of this today already. Surprise double posting!


	26. Piano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a lonely night, Adrien plays the piano in the hopes Ladybug will show up.

For most people his age, the start of winter break meant having more free time and less obligations. Most people got to spend more time with friends and loved ones - Nino kept telling him all about how he got to go on regular dates with Alya. Adrien was trying his best to be happy for his best friend, but, well… 

Adrien wasn’t like most people. If anything, there was more for him to do. Without school to provide an excuse, Adrien’s winter ‘vacation’ amounted to being shunted around the city for various winter line photoshoots, attending boring high society parties, and answering more interviews for television channels and magazines. He was still expected to keep up with fencing and Chinese lessons, of course. 

From what Adrien gathered, Marinette wasn’t in a much better position. The Dupain-Cheng bakery was (rightfully) booming in popularity and this winter had been one of their busiest yet as people escaped the cold for nice, warm baked goods. All of that translated to Marinette spending more time working at her parent’s bakery, just to keep up with things. Even when the bakery closed, she was usually too tired to visit him, even assuming he was free. 

The time apart was almost unbearable… but he managed to stay sane. Mostly because he knew that no matter how much time they spent apart, their love would never fade. But another reason was his piano. There were a few songs that she always asked for whenever he played, ones that had her simply sit down next to him, head on his shoulder, listening to the notes that filled the air. It may sound silly, but when he played them it almost felt like she was there with him. That developed into an almost superstitious believe that if he played it perfectly and frequently enough, she’d be drawn over to him. 

He’d thought that it was a slim hope, but during a particularly cold and dark winter day, there was a knock at his window. His piano became abruptly silent as he spun around in his seat to see her pressing her face against the glass, peering inside. 

Knowing his lady well, he snagged a small blanket off his bed and quickly opened the window, letting both her and a biting wind into his room before closing it again. He draped the blanket around her and pulled her into a hug which she melted into. They stood there for a few moments before she mumbled something into his chest.

“What’d you say, bugaboo?”

She took a step away from him and he finally noticed how tired she looked. The long hours at the bakery seemed to be taking their toll. There was something else, though - a distant look, as if her mind was somewhere else. It was a familiar expression, the same she got when she was plotting how best to take down an akuma. 

“I said, we need to talk. Can we sit down?”

“Sure.” While they moved to the couch, he bit his lower lip, worry worming its way into his gut. He might be oblivious most of the time, but even _he_ knew that there was something ominous about those words. “What do you want to talk about?"

With that same calculating look in her eyes, she said, "I think it's time Ladybug and Adrien broke up."


	27. Protect You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug explains why they have to break up.

“No no no, Adrien, sweetie, that’s not what I meant!”

Everything had happened too quickly - after she’d said ‘we need to break up’, Adrien’s world went blurry and his gaze fell to the floor. His limbs felt heavy and it felt like it would take a monumental force of will to move again. He only barely registered her hands on his cheeks, her turning his face towards her until she took up his entire world again. Her eyes were filled with concern, the calculated edge gone now that she was entirely focused on the here and now. 

He sniffled, hating how awful he felt. “Then… what _do_ you mean?”

“Ladybug and Adrien can’t date anymore… but that doesn’t mean _we_ have to stop dating.”

It suddenly clicked for Adrien. “Oh, I get it. But,” he gave her a confused look, “why now?”

She took a deep breath. “So, it’s pretty clear we aren’t actually getting any closer to beating Hawkmoth. Even if that ever really _was_ the plan.”

“Oh?” He shot her a cocky grin. “Are you saying you had less-than-noble reasons for dating me?” She snorted, but didn’t argue. He leaned back and drape an arm over his forehead. “You’ve taken advantage of a poor civilian, m’lady. With your superheroics and devilishly good looks and talks about the greater good…”

While he devolved into a giggle fit, she lightly smacked him on the arm. “Well, you certainly weren’t complaining! You looked perfectly happy to be swept off your feet - you were ever the one that suggested that we ‘practiced’ kissing!”

He shrugged, still smirking. “I don’t remember _you_ making a fuss about that either.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, but he was secretly pleased to see the blush peeking out from under her mask. “ _Anyway_ ,” she pressed on, “I also want you to be able to come over to my place without any awkwardness. That is, if you’re willing to help out at the bakery too?”

“Baking all day with friends? Sounds awesome. But why would it be awkward if I were dating Ladybug?”

She wrung her hands. “Well… my family… knows that I have a huge crush on you? And they’ve been… ‘consoling’ me all this time about how ‘crushed’ I’ve been with you and Ladybug dating.” When he started laughing, she groaned. “Alya and the squad have been up there too, even if Alya is torn about it.”

He rubbed her back sympathetically. “Sounds rough, bugaboo. I’m sorry they’ve been… overbearing.”

“Thanks, but my main reason is that I don’t want to put you in danger any more. Hawkmoth might not have attacked you yet, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get desperate.”

“You’d think the reveal would make you less concerned about my safety, rather than more.” He mimed cat ears with his hands. “Unless you’ve already forgotten who I am…?”

She shook her head. “You aren’t Chat Noir all the time, and he’d attack when you least expect it. If anything, it’s worse that he would be targeting you, because that puts your identity at risk. Plus,” she locked eyes with him, “you’d probably have to leave me to fight alone against whatever akuma was targeting you.”

“Okay, fine, fair point.” He leaned forward and sighed overdramatically. “And so ends my first real relationship.”

Ignoring him, she continued, “This is actually really good timing on our part, since you pulled that stunt with donating all that stuff with my face or spots on it. People already think we’re in a rough patch, so they won’t look too closely at us breaking up.”

He nodded. “Happy to help, m’lady. So… how are we going to break it to our adoring fans?”


	28. Tangled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Ladybug enjoy their last Ladrien date together.

“...And that’s the plan. Any questions?” Ladybug stopped her pacing and looked at him, sitting cross legged on the couch. 

“Yeah, I’ll contact Nadja tomorrow about it. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the exclusive interview, at least.” Adrien stared forward into space, deep in thought. While he understood that they weren’t _really_ breaking up, it still didn’t feel great to even fake break up with her. 

As if sensing his hesitation, she sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug. “I don’t like it much either, but this is for the best. Trust me - things will be a lot easier after this.”

“Trust you?” A flicker of a smile passed over his face. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Always.”

“Such a tease.” She sighed and cuddled up next to him. “It’s all a mess, isn’t it?”

“True, but at least we have each other now. Right?”

“I suppose. But this will be the last time we meet like this - as Ladybug and Adrien. At least for a while. We can’t have me sneaking into your room right after telling everyone we broke up, after all.”

“Such a shame. Although I’m sure there are other ways for us to sneak around…” He snaked his arms around her waist and held her close. 

“Mhmm… I hear there is an alley cat that likes cuddles. Something tells me he’ll be showing up on my doorstep more often.”

He chuckled. “Spot on as usual, my lady.”

They sat in silence, curled up against each other and enjoying every moment they spent together. He had to remind himself that the next time they would meet, there wouldn’t be any masks in the way. It would just be them, together. 

“You know,” Ladybug started, “this is technically our last date together like this. Do you want to do anything? Watch a movie, maybe?”

“...Why just _one_ movie?”

\-------

Later that night, Marinette extracted herself from Adrien’s unconscious grip. Their Disney marathon had gone on for a while, and while he’d tried to stay awake, it was a losing battle. While the credits to Tangled played in the background, Marinette lifted him up and carried him to bed before tucking him in. 

She smiled down at his peacefully sleeping face and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Good night, Adrien,” she whispered before slipping out into the night, homeward bound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up! My motivation for Close to You got drained and then I got wrapped up in Inseparable... Anyway just know that I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow, and hopefully the final chapter on Sunday.
> 
> Thank you for sticking it out with me!


	29. Matching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladrien is dead! Long live Ladrien!

“...And that’s the simple truth of the matter,” Adrien finished while folding his hands.

Across from him, Nadja Chamack nodded while listening to her ear piece. “While there were many who certainly had their suspicions, I think it would be safe to say that most people will be heartbroken to hear that you two have split up. Can you tell me more about why this happened?”

\---------

“Of course, Alya!” Marinette leaned back. The little studio they had chosen to meet up in would at least ensure that the Ladyblogger wouldn’t be interrupted while getting the interview of a lifetime. “The simple truth of the matter is that we both have plenty to keep us busy - so much that we barely had any time for each other. Add into that the obvious danger from Hawkmoth and, well, you can see why we might want to cut it off.”

Alya maintained a professional composure despite the excited glint that Marinette could see bubbling just underneath the surface.

“Supervillains and long distance - so to speak - definitely sounds like it would be a drag on any couple. But don’t you two still have feelings for each other?”

\-----------

It was the question he’d been waiting for, but even so it sent a spike of anxiety through his heart. He really needed to sell this to make sure no one dug any deeper after this interview. 

Adrien swallowed heavily and did his best to lie through his teeth. “Not as much as we used to. We still care for each other, of course, but our relationship has definitely run its course. While we are parting amicably, I wouldn’t hold your breath for us to get back together.”

“That’s too bad, but I’m sure I speak for many Parisians when I say that we’re glad to see no lingering animosity between you two. All too often these celebrity relationships end with bitterness.” Nadja settled back into her chair. “But now the question on every eligible bachellorette’s mind: Are you back on the market now? Has someone caught your eye?”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. “Well, it’s a bit early, but there is someone who has been a good, dependable friend of mine through this rough patch. Maybe somewhere down the line…”

\-------------

“Well, now that you mention it, Alya, there is a mangy alley cat that I’ve always had my heart set on… even if I didn’t realize it until recently.” Marinette smiled - it wasn’t a total lie. After all, it had taken her this long to figure out how deep the love for her partner really went. 

“...And I think that’s all my questions for today, Ladybug.” Alya stood, with Marinette following her lead. “Anything else you want to say to your adoring fans?”

Marinette turned to face the camera. “Never be afraid to let those people close to you know how much they mean to you. A relationship doesn’t have to be romantic to be precious.”

Alya stepped behind the camera and shut it off. “Thank you so much for this, Ladybug! Your fans will appreciate this - I know I do!”

“No problem!” Marinette shared a hug with her best friend. “I appreciate your work with the Ladyblog. This is the least I could do to help out.”

Pulling out her yoyo, Marinette waved at her and went home.

\-----------------------

Later that night, Marinette was standing on her balcony in her pajamas, looking up at the night sky. Though she couldn’t see the stars, the moon was bright above Paris. She took a deep breath, content and calm.

She heard a pair of boots land quietly, but not silently, behind her. Turning around, she rested her arms on the railing as she leaned back, a sly smile on her face. “What are you doing here, oh mysterious superhero?"

"Just visiting a beautiful girl on a balcony, princess." His bright green eyes shone with mischief. 

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Well, in case you didn't catch the interviews today - claws off - I am officially a free agent." The mask fell away, but the pose, the grace, the cocky look - that was all still Chat Noir.

Marinette giggles, "I might have seen something on the news."

"Then it should come to no surprise when I ask you to officially be my girlfriend," Adrien fell to one knee in front of her and brought her hand to lips.

"Oh goodness! So sudden!"

"Pft, Mari-" He rolled his eyes as he stood back up.

"I may swoon from the shock, my handsome prince!" She did just that, leaning back while pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. She fluttered her eyelashes for added effect.

He crossed his arms as he blushed. "Look, you're being very cute, but-" 

"Yes, Adrien.” She put her hands on his cheeks, smiling up at him. “Yes."

"Oh. Good. Yeah... well..."

Marinette got a spark in her eye, "My parents are asleep, so... Spots on!"

And Adrien smiles at his "ex" girlfriend putting his hand over his heart, "Ladybug, I'm flattered, but I'm really not one to be in an on-again-off-again relationship."

"Who says I was talking to Adrien Agreste, 'kitty'?"

Adrien grins, and once again it's all Chat Noir, and for the first time Marinette can see both of her boys in his face. Her eyes widen beneath her mask.

"Claws out!"

They leap off her building, laughing gleefully.

"So, M'lady. I heard that no-good pretty boy broke up with the most beautiful superhero in Paris and moved on to a civilian."

"I'm afraid so, kitty. However will I cope?"

"Well... if you'll have me, I can offer many boyfriendly services. Snuggles, back rubs, kisses whenever you want them...."

"Well... I suppose since Adrien HAS moved on..."

Chat Noir pauses for a second, then grins that stupid grin, "Did I just get the two most wonderful girls in the world in one night?"

Marinette stops for a minute, grabbing his hand, "You know I love you both, right? Adrien and Chat Noir. I don't know how I didn't see sooner... that you're the same guy... and both perfect for me."

"I know exactly what you mean, m'lady.” He tapped at his chin thoughtfully. “'Ladrien'... 'Ladynoir'... would Marinette and Chat be 'MariChat?' I think that's adorable…” He cleared his throat. “Anyway. It doesn't matter. We're all the same, no matter what the public thinks. Two matching halves of one whole."

"The public's gonna go crazy when they find out..."

"Let's give it a while, yeah? Let them mourn Ladrien for a little bit longer."

"You know, this doesn't have to be the end of Ladrien completely. Ladybug could pop by from time to time."

"Hey now, give this alley cat a turn..."

As they kiss, Paris alight below them, they felt content... complete.


	30. Paris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small epilogue to finish off Close to You.

It was just another day for Adrien. Photoshoot in the morning, a fitting in the afternoon, then filming another commercial in the evening. Unable to spend time with his friends as he got shuttled from one thing to another as he was dragged all across Paris in the name of high fashion. 

His phone dinged. Another text from Nino. He quickly responded and continued looking out the window of the car. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that he had friends, and they would wait for him. They weren’t mad that he couldn’t hang out. Well… they weren’t mad at _him_ at least. His father might have been getting more anonymous hate mail than usual, but nothing they could prove.

There was already a crowd as the car came to a stop. Fans that were eager to see him, even if he was off the market again. The Gorilla took a few moments getting out of the car and walking around to open his door. Moments that Adrien used to steady himself, fight down the dread and plaster a smile on his face. 

As he took a step out of the car, he saw her. 

He didn’t know how he saw her - she was just a dot of red on a rooftop. But the moment he laid eyes on her, his smile became real and every little thing that had been weighing on his mind parted like clouds before the sun. He waved, pretending it was to the fans around him and he grinned even bigger when he saw her wave back. 

He could get through today. After all, the most wonderful girl in the world would no doubt be paying him a visit tonight.

What more could he ask for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for sticking with me for Close to You! I realize it isn't my usual story, but I was trying to experiment with something different in this one. Ladrien isn't something that I write a lot for, so I sometimes struggles with the dynamics of that ship. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Close to You, and if you want to see some of my other stories, then Inseparable is being updated as frequently as I can. 
> 
> Keep an eye out this coming month as I attempt to participate in Adrien AUG-Reste month, since I am a fool who does not learn from his mistakes. It will likely be similar to Marinette March - a lot of fluffy pieces centered around our precious sunshine child. 
> 
> From the bottom of my heart, thank you for seeing Close to You through until its end, and I hope to see you in the comments of my other stories. Happy reading!


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